Huge win for car owners! All TSBs to be made public.
The Center for Auto Safety just made the NHTSA (US Government) make public the full text of all TSBs from now on. They are the same organization that has petitioned the NHTSA & filed lawsuits to protect car owners over exploding gas tanks & other major safety issues.
Whenever you drive in your car, you are safer thanks in part to a lot of work over the years by this small but very effective consumer advocacy group.

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2001 Volkswagen Passat Owner Comments

Passat 4-cyl

Automatic transmission

46,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2001 VW Passat gls was hit in the rear by a large 89 Chevy van. The seat that I was sitting in reclined almost all the way back to the back seat so that I was looking up at the roof. My seat belt cut my head and wrist of my left arm as I fell back. I know it was the seat belt because there was skin on the shoulder portion of it. After the accident I looked at the totalled car and noticed that the seat had shifted. The front thigh support portion came up, and the back support went down. Upon close inspection, I think that the seat brackets yielded in the collision changing the overall orientation of the seat. I was not seriously injured, as far as I know I just had a case of whiplash. However, I am staying in touch with my doctor should any additional back or neck problems come out of this. However, I could have been ejected from the seat or throw into the back, not to mention the serious injuries the seat would have caused to a person sitting in back of me. I called VW and the regional representative claims that the seat is designed to give in a severe rear impact. I asked for a statement in writing, and they agreed to this but I have yet to see it. (it may or may not be coming) I have the date and time of that phone conversation. I also have pictures of the car, the seat, and the brackets. VW does not advertise any special seat features like Volvo's whips protection, so I am worried about the safety of this seat design. A quick internet search showed that several people have had similar events in a rear impact. Clubb5.com, and audiworld.com both have conversations about this in the forums. If this is a poor seat design, I think that they should all be fixed.

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